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Submission guidelines
What the emergency brake means for campus operations
The provincial government has announced a new shutdown effective April 3 set to last for a period of 28 days.
"We must adapt to the new emergency restrictions," wrote President Feridun Hamdullahpur in a memo circulated to the University community on Thursday. "The shutdown will be very similar to the one experienced in January, and affects our current approaches to teaching, research and other operations:
- In-person course activity can only continue for subject matter or instruction that requires that it be taught in-person, such as clinical or hands-on training, with a limit of 10 students per section, with some exemptions in health care disciplines.
- Faculty associate deans have been contingency planning for the remaining eight class days of the winter term and have identified courses that will continue in person or remotely during a lockdown.
- Instructors will consult with their associate dean or chair for clarity and direction and should inform students about class format (in-person or remote) for Monday, April 6 as soon as possible.
- On campus laboratory research can continue during the provincial shutdown period following approved safety plans. All departments are expected to have in place a plan for scaling back lab research activities if we receive that direction. We will share more information on human participant research and field research next week.
- Student residences remain open as normal with additional security and shared space safety measures already in place due to the ongoing outbreak.
- All food services are take-out and/or delivery only. Dine-in seating is not permitted.
- Athletics facilities are closed.
- Print + Retail Solutions will continue to operate W Store with a limited capacity. All services will continue to remain available online.
- Libraries will be open for curbside delivery and pick-up. Visitors may be permitted to enter libraries for contactless drop-off and pick-up, or similar services. Most research-related services may continue. Study spaces within the Davis Centre library will be closed temporarily.
- General office activity is limited to work that must occur on campus. Any work that can occur remotely should be done from home. Leaders and department heads will need to communicate their areas’ specific priorities and plans.
- At this time, the shutdown does not impact the arrival of international students and does not change any of the federal or provincial quarantine requirements or the provincial COVID-19 testing requirement.
"I know none of us wanted to go through another shutdown, but this is the right thing to do for our global battle with this virus," Hamdullahpur writes. "Thank you for your perseverance, patience and support as we all do our part to stop the spread."
Please continue to do your part to contain the spread of COVID-19 and follow all University safety protocols. As we approach a period of heightened uncertainty, it is also important to take care of yourselves and each other. Help is available if you need it.
Equity Office launches Confronting Anti-Black Racism e-learning course
A message from the Equity Office.
The Equity Office is excited to launch an e-learning course called Confronting Anti-Black Racism. This course is based on Professor Christopher Taylor’s Arts130 course that ran in the Fall 2020. Thanks to Dr. Taylor’s generosity, this course is now available to all Waterloo students, faculty and staff and is an opportunity for (un)learning and gaining tools to better take anti-racist action in our own lives, at work, home, and in our communities.
There are three entry points into the course that you can choose from:
- 1. Start the course anytime, and choose to move through the course independently and at your own pace, using self-reflection tools
- 2. and 3. Register to begin the week of April 5 or May 12, moving through the course independently, completing one module per week, using self-reflection tools. After completing the seventh module, join other campus community members for a Guided Reflection Session with Dr. Christopher Taylor and Jermal Jones, Manager, Equity Office on May 26 or June 29, respectively.
Within each module, you will find readings, videos, and a list of key definitions and themes to consider.
Global Engagement 2021 Summit deals with pandemics
Imagine studying a global phenomenon while being in the midst of its many impacts. That’s what the students, instructors, and Jarislowsky Fellows of this term’s Global Engagement Seminar have been grappling with for the past three months.
The 2021 Global Engagement Seminar interdisciplinary course is now gearing up to share their research and insights on pandemics in their online Summit, which takes place on Wednesday, April 7.
The six distinguished Jarislowsky Fellows are preparing a panel discussion on the broad pandemic theme, each contributing from their respective areas of expertise, including Indigenous communities, health and medicine, media, history, race and equity. The panel begins at 10:00 a.m. and will be moderated by course instructors, professors Shannon Majowicz, from the School of Public Health in the Faculty of Health, and Shana MacDonald, from the Department of Communication Arts in the Faculty of Arts.
Jarislowsky Fellow, Denise Balkissoon, executive editor at Chatelaine magazine, comments on what she hopes the audience will take away from the event: "I hope the Summit attendees comes away with a sense of just how broadly this pandemic has wormed its way into the smallest corners of our lives, and how broadly we'll need to think if we have any chance of a truly meaningful recovery."
Beginning at 12:30 p.m. the Global Engagement Seminar students will present their projects tackling specific problems and solutions related to the pandemic, including a digital zine, a podcast, a social media campaign connecting students in this isolating time, an infographic and video exploring different countries and their responses to the global pandemic — and many more innovative ideas. The Summit will conclude with closing remarks by professors MacDonald and Majowicz.
The Global Engagement Summit: Pandemic takes place virtually on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is free and open to the university community and the general public. Register online to attend.
Webinar outlines four key steps for climate action
A message from the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy.
The Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3) and Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) are pleased to invite to you to the upcoming webinar “Solve Climate by 2030: 4 key steps for climate action”.
The webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 7 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Join speakers from the University of Waterloo and Waterloo community for an engaging webinar about actionable climate solutions. The event is targeted to students but everyone is welcome to attend.
Each speaker will discuss one climate change issue and share one key step for climate action.
This webinar is part of the Solve Climate By 2030 series led Bard College in the US. The series is an international movement educating university and high school students about how an ambitious Green Recovery based in local action can put us on the way to solving climate change by 2030.
Visit IC3’s website to register and for more details on the event.
Staff conference kicks off tomorrow and other notes
The 2021 Waterloo Staff Conference (WSC) will be happening virtually from April 6 to April 9. The event will feature keynote presentations and workshops and activities you can attend from the comfort of your own home or your office. Registration is currently open for all events and activities and will remain opening during the conference.
"This annual event (apart from 2020!) has been signature part of learning and development activities for Waterloo employees since 2008," says a notification from Organizational and Human Development (OHD), who organizes and hosts the conference.
Registration takes place through Portal. You will receive an email confirmation that will include your Teams link to attend for each registered session and it will include an attached calendar file to import into your Outlook Calendar. Registration will remain open during the entire conference for your convenience to assist those with changing or last-minute schedules. If you can unexpectedly attend a keynote or session, you can register at any time – even during the keynote – and receive a confirmation with your Teams attendance link. Because the conference is virtual this year, there are no attendance caps in place for the keynote speakers.
You can download a Waterloo Staff Conference 2021 Timetable (PDF) to see the sessions at-a-glance.
"Full-time, regular staff members will soon get to elect their second representative on the Board of Governors for a term from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2024," says a note from the Secretariat. "Susan Grant continues on the Board until 2023."
The nomination period closed on Wednesday 31 March 2021 at 3:00 p.m. Candidate statements including candidate contact emails are posted on the Secretariat website. The candidates are:
- Kathy Becker
- Aldo Caputo
- Jason Gorrie
- Reuben Grin
- Nancy Heide
- Trenny McGinnis
- Liam Morland
- Leanne Perreault
- Danielle Robichaud
- Katy Wong-Franq
- Fred Zhu
The voting period for regular full-time staff is planned for Wednesday 14 April to Tuesday 20 April 2021 by electronic ballot (five business days). Each regular full-time staff member will receive an email with a direct link to the ballot.
The voting period for union full-time staff is planned for Wednesday 14 April to Tuesday 27 April 2021 by paper ballot (ten business days). Each regular full-time union member will be sent a paper ballot through campus mail.
See Board of Governors - Staff Election Guidelines for information, or contact Emily Schroeder.
And here's another announcement from the Secretariat: "The 6 April 2021 Board of Governors meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams videoconference. Guests are welcome to join the open session of the meeting similar to a normal "in-person" Board meeting. If you would like to attend the meeting as a guest observer, please contact Emily Schroeder to request to join the meeting. The agenda is posted on the Board of Governors webpage."